Aretha Franklin Named Greatest Singer of All Time!

Hey family!

I just read in the NY Daily News that Rolling Stone Magazine has named my idol Aretha Frankin "The Greatest Singer of All Time!"

I can't think of ANYONE who is more deserving of this title than Miss Aretha. Make all the jokes you want about the questionable wardrobe choices and her weight issues but there is no denying the track record of her hits, skills, sheer talent and the way she has mastered her instrument. She is one of the few vocalists who can cross genres and still stay true to her own voice.

Often imitated but never duplicated - There simply is NO other!

Aretha Rocks! I will be a fan until the day I die...for real! I can't think of another singer who has influenced me more.

1 Aretha Franklin by Mary J. Blige
Born: March 25th, 1942

Key Tracks

"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,"
"Respect,"
"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),"
"Think,"
"Chain of Fools"

Influenced

Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Aaron Neville, Annie Lennox, Sharon Quinn

You know a force from heaven. You know something that God made. And Aretha is a gift from God. When it comes to expressing yourself through song, there is no one who can touch her. She is the reason why women want to sing.

Aretha has everything — the power, the technique. She is honest with everything she says. Everything she's thinking or dealing with is all in the music, from "Chain of Fools" to "Respect" to her live performances. And she has total confidence; she does not waver at all. I think her gospel base brings that confidence, because in gospel they do not play around — they're all about chops, who has the vocal runs. This is no game to her.

As a child, I used to listen to Aretha's music because my mom played "Do Right Woman" and "Ain't No Way" every single day. I would see my mother cry when she listened to those songs, and I'd cry too. Then I discovered her on my own with the Sparkle soundtrack. I must have played "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" 30 times in a row; eventually, I connected the dots to that voice my mom was listening to.

Even the way she pronounces words is amazing: In "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," when she sings, "Many say that I'm too young" — the way she says "I'm," you can almost see her saying it, like she's all in your face, but you're still right with her. You can really visualize her hands when she sings, "You're tying both of my hands," on "Ain't No Way" — it's the powerful way she hits the word "both."

When you watch her work, you can see why Aretha is who she is. When we did the song "Don't Waste Your Time" on my album Mary, she just went in there and ate that record like Pac-Man. She could be doing a church vocal run, and it would turn into some jazz-space thing, something I never encountered before. You'd say, "Where did that come from? Where did she find that note?"

It's beautiful to see, because it helps people with a lack of confidence in their ability, like myself. I look at her and think, "I need a piece of that."

Whatever that is.

You know, I had my "Aretha" moment a few years ago at BB King's when I snuck in and waited in the empty backstage area for a friend to come and get me. I was sitting quietly on a stool alone when the elevator doors opened up and she walked off with her assistant in tow. I was so stunned that I was that close to her that I could even open my mouth to speak - I tried not to even look at her. She stood about 4 feet in front of me several minutes and then she looked at me, waved, smiled and said "hello" - Still in shock, I couldn't find my voice and I was genuinely embarrassed when a weak ass whispery "hi" escaped from my lips.

I still kick myself to this day for not having my camera, not being able to introduce myself properly and not being able to tell her how much she helped shape my own career.

Here's to hoping I get another shot someday.

Congratulations! You will ALWAYS be the Queen in my heart!

“Music is the purest form of art... therefore true poets, they who are seers, seek to express the universe in terms of music... The singer has
everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.”